Simulation is an approach to analyze systems which are too complex for an exact theoretical or mathematical analysis. A simulation performs experiments on a model representing a real system (e.g. industrial control systems, machines, vehicles) to achieve findings and insights of the real system. The models like the systems can be huge, complicated and complex. Therefore the simulation will be executed by computer programs and computers.
The word “Simulation” in this connection subsumes the model set up, the calculation and the interpretation of the results whereas only the model set up and the interpretation of the results consume real manpower. By guess 50% of the whole development time of machine tools and production machines is spent for simulation today while approximately ⅔ of this are used for the model set up and ⅓ for the interpretation of the results. That means especially the effort for setting up simulation models is quite high today and will increase further in the future due to the increasing introduction of mechatronic simulation and more frequent validations of the discipline specific designs.
The patent application US20100082314-A1 discloses a system and methods to simulate the operation of a servo driven mechatronic system to tune the system based on components either manually selected by the user from a database or automatically selected from the database by the system.